that bernanke was talking tough. and they said the fed's role in the fiscal cliff negotiations is to communicate. >> tell the world and the individuals in the political establishment that they have to help get their act together or we have a problem, and that notion of preaching from the pulpit that he has is very fundamental. >> susie: is there another role or more of a role for the fed? >> i think to be a cheerleader and to be on the sidelines telling the government they have to do what is right for the public. >> susie: as for what the fed can do if the u.s. heads into recession because of the fiscal cliff, bernanke says, not much. >> in the worse case scenario, where the economy goes off the broad fiscal cliff, the largest fiscal cliff, which, according the c.b.o. and our analys, would send the u.s. economy into recession, i don't think the fed has the tools to offset that. >> susie: members of the audience agreed. >> he was very frank in saying, you know, "we can try," he essentially said, "we will try, but we don't have anything in our arsenal that comes close." >> susie: bernanke is alrea
